Nielsen ranked the best college basketball fan bases. Did your school make it?
Michigan and UCLA, the 2026 NCAA champs in men's and women's basketball, didn't make Nielsen's ranking of the sport's top 20 markets. Here's who did.
The Kentucky Wildcats and Louisville Cardinals boast one of the most intense rivalries in college basketball, and recent Nielsen data reveals their fan bases are among the most devoted in the nation. Lexington, Kentucky secured the top spot on Nielsen's Fandom Index, ranking as the most passionate market for both men's and women's college basketball programs.
The index analyzed seven key metrics: apparel purchases, event attendance, streaming, social media following, TV viewership, radio listening, and overall interest level. Both Kentucky markets dominated in every category, with Lexington scoring 289 and Louisville scoring 277. Des Moines/Ames, home to Iowa State and Iowa, claimed the third position, while Raleigh/Durham (Duke, UNC, and NC State) took fourth place.
Indianapolis (Butler, Indiana, and Purdue) rounded out the top five. Notably, last season's NCAA champions, the Michigan Wolverines and UCLA Bruins, did not make the top 20. Smaller markets such as Birmingham and Knoxville ranked highly due to strong merchandise sales, despite lower TV viewership. Columbus, Ohio State's home, ranked 17th, excelling in apparel purchases but lagging in TV viewership.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
